Class 9 Economics Chapter 1 Question Answers - Economics

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Q1: Describe the various dimensions of poverty.
Ans: Poverty is a significant challenge faced by independent India, manifesting in various dimensions:

• Hunger and lack of shelter are primary indicators of poverty.
• Many parents cannot send their children to school due to financial constraints.
• Illness often goes untreated because of the inability to afford medical care.
• Access to clean water and sanitation facilities is severely limited.
• Many individuals lack stable employment that provides a decent living wage.
• Poverty fosters a sense of helplessness, leading to mistreatment in various settings, including workplaces and public spaces.

Mahatma Gandhi believed that true independence for India would only be achieved when the poorest citizens are free from suffering.

Q2: ‘Poverty is a curse upon humanity’. Support the statement.
Ans:

• Poverty is a curse upon humanity. It fills people with a sense of helplessness and hopelessness. The victims of poverty face social exclusion. They are excluded from enjoying social equality of better-off people in better surroundings.
• These people fail to get health care, safe drinking water, proper education and respect. They do not lead a life of dignity. Rather, they are ill-treated at almost every place.
• Those living in abject poverty face greater risks at the time of natural disasters like earthquakes, floods, etc. Their safety is ignored in these circumstances.
• Children of poverty-ridden families are not sent to school. These children are forced to earn money by working at dhabas, or at construction sites or at houses of well-off people.

Obviously, nobody would like to live in poverty. It is a curse of which its victims should be brought out without delay.

Q3: Give a detailed description of all the poverty alleviations programmes.
Ans: 

Removal of poverty has been a key goal of India's development strategy. The government's current approach focuses on two main areas:

• Promotion of economic growth
• Targeted anti-poverty programmes

Promotion of economic growth: Since the 1980s, India has experienced rapid economic growth, with the growth rate increasing from about 3.5% annually in the 1970s to around 6% in the 1980s and 1990s. This growth has significantly contributed to reducing poverty levels. Targeted anti-poverty programmes: The government has implemented various schemes aimed at alleviating poverty, including:

• Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) (2005): Provides 100 days of wage employment to every rural household, ensuring livelihood security.
• Prime Minister Rozgar Yojana (PMRY) (1993): Aims to create self-employment opportunities for educated unemployed youth in rural areas and small towns.
• Rural Employment Generation Programme (REGP) (1995): Focuses on creating self-employment opportunities in rural areas and small towns.
• Swarnajayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) (1999): Helps poor families rise above the poverty line by organising them into self-help groups, supported by bank credit and government subsidies.
• Pradhan Mantri Gramodaya Rozgar Yojana (PMGY) (2000): Provides additional central assistance to states for basic services like health, education, and rural infrastructure.

Despite these efforts, the effectiveness of these programmes has been mixed. Key challenges include:

• Inadequate implementation and targeting of schemes.
• Overlapping of various schemes, leading to inefficiencies.
• Benefits not reaching the most deserving individuals.

As a result, recent efforts have focused on improving the monitoring of poverty alleviation programmes. While poverty has declined, significant disparities remain between rural and urban areas, and among different states. In conclusion, addressing poverty in India requires a multifaceted approach, combining economic growth with targeted interventions to ensure that the benefits reach those who need them most.

Q4: Describe how economic growth and poverty reduction are interlinked.
Ans:

• Over a period of thirty years lasting up to the early eighties, there were little per capita income growth and not much reduction in poverty.
• Since the eighties, India’s economic growth has been one of the fastest in the world. The growth rate jumped from the average of about 3.5 per cent a year in the 1970s to about 6 per cent during the 1980s and 1990s. The higher growth rates have helped significantly in the reduction of poverty.
• Economic growth widens opportunities and provides the resources needed to invest in human development. This also encourages people to send their children, including the girl child, to schools in hope of getting better economic returns from investing in education.

Q5: How did the following states succeed in reducing poverty—Kerala, Punjab and Haryana, West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu?
Ans: There has been a significant decline in poverty in the states of Kerala, Punjab, Haryana, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu due to various strategies:

• Kerala has prioritised human resource development, focusing on education and health.
• Punjab and Haryana have achieved success through high agricultural growth rates, boosting rural incomes.
• West Bengal implemented effective land reform measures, which have contributed to poverty reduction.
• In Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, the public distribution of food grains has played a crucial role in improving food security and reducing poverty.

Q6: “The results of the poverty alleviation programmes have been mixed”. Support the statement with three valid reasons.
Ans: The results of poverty alleviation programmes have been mixed for several reasons:

• Lack of proper implementation: Many programmes suffer from inadequate execution and poor targeting, which limits their effectiveness.
• Overlapping schemes: There is significant duplication among various initiatives, leading to confusion and inefficiency.
• Insufficient reach: Despite good intentions, the benefits often do not reach the deserving poor, necessitating improved monitoring and evaluation of these programmes.

Q7: Mention any six issues related to poverty.
Ans: Here are six issues related to poverty:

• Landlessness: Many individuals lack ownership of land, which limits their ability to generate income.
• Unemployment: A high rate of joblessness contributes to financial instability for families.
• Size of families: Larger families often struggle to provide basic needs, leading to increased poverty.
• Illiteracy: Lack of education restricts opportunities for better employment and economic advancement.
• Poor health/malnutrition: Health issues and inadequate nutrition can prevent individuals from working and earning a living.
• Child labour: Many children are forced to work instead of attending school, perpetuating the cycle of poverty.

Q8: Make an analysis of poverty through the concept of social exclusion.
Ans:

• Social exclusion is a concept-adopted to analyses poverty in a broader sense. According to this concept, poverty must be seen in terms of the poor having live only in a poor surrounding with other poor people. These people are excluded from enjoying social equality of better-off people in better surroundings.
• Social exclusion can be both a cause as well as a consequence of poverty. Broadly, it is a process through which individuals or groups are excluded from facilities, benefits and opportunities that better-off people avail.
• We can mention here the caste system which has been in existence in India since time immemorial. In this system people belonging to certain castes are excluded from equal opportunities. Thus, social exclusion can cause more damage than having a very low income.

Q9: How was the British colonial administration responsible for the widespread poverty in India?
Ans: The British colonial administration significantly contributed to widespread poverty in India through several key factors:

• Low Economic Development: The colonial policies severely harmed traditional handicrafts and stunted the growth of industries like textiles. This low growth persisted until the 1980s, leading to fewer job opportunities.
• Population Growth: The rapidly increasing population exacerbated poverty. Failed population control measures perpetuated the cycle of poverty, making it difficult for economic growth to keep pace.
• Income Inequality: There are significant income disparities in India, largely due to the unequal distribution of land and resources. Land reforms aimed at redistributing assets have often been poorly implemented, failing to benefit the rural poor.
• Socio-Cultural Factors: Many Indians, including the impoverished, spend substantial amounts on religious ceremonies and social obligations, diverting funds from essential needs.
• Indebtedness: Small farmers often lack savings and borrow money for agricultural inputs. When unable to repay, they fall deeper into poverty, creating a vicious cycle of debt.

Overall, these factors illustrate how the British colonial administration's policies and practices laid the groundwork for enduring poverty in India.

Q10: Why do social scientists look at poverty through a variety of indicators?
Ans: Social scientists examine poverty through various indicators to gain a comprehensive understanding of its impact. Traditionally, the focus was on income and consumption levels. However, contemporary analyses include a broader range of social indicators:

• Illiteracy levels
• Lack of general resistance due to malnutrition
• Lack of access to healthcare
• Lack of job opportunities
• Lack of access to safe drinking water
• Poor sanitation

This multifaceted approach acknowledges that poverty is not solely an economic issue but also involves social exclusion and vulnerability. Social exclusion refers to the isolation of the poor from better-off communities, limiting their access to opportunities and resources. Vulnerability highlights the increased risk certain groups face in becoming or remaining poor, such as those from disadvantaged castes or individuals with disabilities. By considering these diverse factors, social scientists can better understand the complexities of poverty and develop more effective strategies for alleviation.